Building structure with a waterproof seal



y 1968 N. B. ELLIOTT ETAL 331,436

BUILDING STRUCTURE WITH A WATERPROOF SEAL Filed March 15. 1965 3,381,436 BUILDING STRUCTURE WITH A WATERPROQE SEAL Norman Barton Elliott, 25 Blenheim Road, Raynes Park, London, England, and Robert Henry Greensnlith, 17 Amberley Road, Bnckhurst Hill, England Filed Mar. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 439,614 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 19, 1964, 11,660/64 2 Claims. (Cl. 552 463) ABSTRA'CT OF THE DISJLOSURE Bridging and sealing means for the outwardly opening channels of assembled prefabricated building panels. The channels include interlocking longitudinally extending strips and a longitudinally extending U-section strip bridges the channels with its closed end in sealing engagement with a cover sheeet on the outer surface of the panels.

This invention concerns improvements in or modifications of the roof, wall and like structure comprising, for example, prefabricated building panels which are assembled together in the same plane in edge to edge relation, wherein at least some of the abutting edges of the panels are formed with upwardly (or outwardly) opening channels, and wherein the abutting channels of adjacent panels are fitted with sealing strips comprising longitudinal edge portions which are engaged respectively one in each of the two abutting channels, each of said strips being provided between said edge portion with a longitudinal rib which is beaded along its outer edge and adapted to be forced between the meeting edges of the channels so as to close said meeting edges on the inside of the panels.

The sealing strips may be of substantially U cross section arranged with the limbs thereof engaged respectively one in each of the two channels with the outer walls of the channels sandwiched between the limbs of the seal, and with the closed end of the U covering the upper or outer free edges of said outer walls of the channels.

The object of the present invention is the provision of improved means for bridging and sealing the channels of abutting edges of adjacent panels, to ensure that penetration of water between the edges of adjacent panels is prevented.

According to this invention, there is provided a roof, wall or the like structure comprising prefabricated building panels which are assembled in the same or substantially the same plane in edge to edge relation, and wherein at least some of the abutting edges of the panels are formed with upwardly (or outwardly) opening channels, and wherein the abutting channels of adjacent panels are fitted with substantially U section sealing strips arranged with the longitudinal edge portions thereof engaged respectively one in each of the two abutting channels, with the closed end of the U covering the upper or outer edges of the outer walls of the channels, and which is characterised in that the opposed outer faces of the outer walls of the channels have formed integral therewith, or have applied thereto, longitudinally extending strip-like parts having complementary ribs and recesses which are capable of interlocking, i.e. the ribs on one strip engaging in the recesses in the other strip, when the U section sealing strip is fitted in position and the opposed outer walls of the two adjacent channels are urged outwardly towards one another.

United States Patent 3,381,436 Patented May '3, 1968 To enable the invention to be clearly understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein the single view is a vertical section taken through two adjacent roofing panels.

Referring to said drawing, the two roofing panels or units 1 comprise frames 2 which are bolted or otherwise secured together.

Each unit ll comprises a cover 3 of sheet P.V.C. formed along one or more of the edges of the panel with chan nel section portions 4, in which are located longitudinal edge portions 5 of a substantially U section P.V.C. sealing and bridging strip having its capping or closed end 6 covering the upper outer edges 4a of the outer walls of the channel portions 4.

Each of the outer opposed faces of the outer walls of the adjacent channels is formed integral with, or has adhered thereto, P.V.C. strips 7 formed with longitudinally directed rigs and recesses as shown, the arrangement being such that when the sealing strip is fitted in position the edge portions 5 urge the outer walls. of the two channels 4 outwardly towards one another and so cause the ribs in one strip 7 to enter the recesses in the other and complementary strip, thereby forming a completely waterproof interlocking joint between the two outer walls of the channels 4.

We claim:

1. A building structure, comprising prefabricated building panels assembled in a common plane in edge to edge relation, outwardly opening channels formed on said panels at their abutting edges, a longitudinally extending U-section sealing strip having the parallel side limbs thereof fitted one in each of the two channels at the abutting edges of two adjacent panels and bridging said channels, the closed end of the U covering the outer edges of the outer walls of said channels, and complementary interlocking longitudinally extending ribs and recesses on the opposed outer faces of the outer walls of the channels urged into interlocking engagement to provide a waterproof seal by the fitment of the side limbs of the U section sealing strip in said channels.

2. A building structure, comprising prefabricated building panels assembled in a common plane in edge to edge relation, a covering on each of said panels, an outwardly opening channel formed integral with an edge of said covering, longitudinally extending ribs and receses on the outer face of the outer wall of said channel, a longitudinally extending U-section sealing strip having the parallel side limbs thereof fitted one in each of the two channels to seal said channels at the abutting edges of two adjacent panels, the closed end of the U covering the outer edges of the outer walls of the channels, the closed end of the U including outwardly extending arms in sealing engagement with said cover, the ribs and recesses on the outer walls of two abutting channels being complementary and being urged into interlocking engagement to provide a waterproof seal by insertion of the limbs of the U-section sealing strip into said channels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,405,643 8/1946 Crot 52-465 3,043,730 7/1962 Adie 52-309 X FOREIGN PATENTS 228,144 1960 Australia.

JOHN E. .MURTAGH, Primary Examiner. 

